Lemon & Rose Battenberg
Ingredients (Serves 10)
◆ 200g butter, cut into cubes
◆ 200g caster sugar
◆ 4 eggs
◆ 200g self raising flour
◆ Grated zest a 1 lemon
◆ 1tsp lemon essence
◆ Yellow gel food colour
◆ 2-3wtsp rose water
◆ Pink gel food colour
◆ 150g lemon curd
◆ 450g block white marzipan
◆ Crystallized baby roses, rose petals and violas, to decorate, optional
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, Fan 160°C, Gas 4. Line a 20cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Pleat the paper in the centre to form a divide in the middle. Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together until light and fluf fy. Gradually beat in the eggs and fold in the flour.
2 Divide the mix in half and add the lemon zest, lemon essence and a little yellow gel to one half and the rose water and a little pink gel to the other half and mix to combine. Place the lemon mixture on one side of the divide and rose on the other side. Bake for 40-45min until well risen and springy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3 To assemble trim the edges and top of each piece of cake and cut in half lengthwise. Roll out the marzipan on a little sifted icing sugar to a rectangle about 18 x 35cm. This should be the same length as the cake and long enough to wrap around it. Brush with lemon curd leaving a 2.5cm clear edge along one shor t side.
4 Place a rose and a lemon strip, side by side at the coated end of the marzipan, brushing lemon curd between the strips, to stick them together. Brush the top of the sponges with more lemon curd and then sandwich the remaining 2 strips on top, alternating the colours. Press well together and coat the top and sides with lemon curd. Carefully lift up the marzipan, over the sponge, to cover. Press firmly on to the cake then seal and trim the join.
5 Place seam side down and trim both ends, with a sharp knife. Crimp the top edges of the marzipan with a thumb and forefinger. Transfer to a ser ving plate. Decorate with edible rose petals or edible cr ystallized flowers, as wished and ser ve.